Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan arrived in Kuwait on Tuesday, marking the first stop of his three-day Gulf tour, which will also include Qatar and Oman. He was welcomed at Kuwait International Airport in an official ceremony by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. This visit follows the Emir’s first official visit to Ankara last year, which was his first since assuming office in 2023 after the death of his father. Following the ceremonial welcome, Erdoğan and Emir Al-Sabah proceeded to Bayan Palace for bilateral meetings. The agenda included discussions on regional and global issues, as well as the signing of agreements aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation. Erdoğan is also scheduled to attend an official dinner hosted by the Emir. Accompanying the Turkish president on this tour are First Lady Emine Erdoğan, ministers overseeing foreign affairs, energy, treasury, defense, industry, and trade, as well as senior security and intelligence officials, and members of the Justice and Development Party. A standout moment of the visit was Erdoğan presenting the Emir with a Turkish-made electric vehicle, the Togg T10X. The gesture reflects the depth of bilateral ties between Türkiye and Kuwait. The Emir expressed gratitude and wished Erdoğan and Türkiye continued progress and prosperity.
Strengthening bilateral relations
The visit also focused on reinforcing strategic cooperation between the two nations. According to a statement from Türkiye’s Communications Directorate, Erdoğan emphasized that cooperation in investment, energy, trade, and the defense industry is of strategic importance. He highlighted the potential to further expand the already deep-rooted relations between the two countries. During the meetings, four agreements were signed. Among these were memoranda of understanding on cooperation in the energy sector and agreements promoting direct investment, facilitated by Türkiye’s Presidential Investment and Finance Office and Kuwait’s Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA).Photos shared by the Turkish Presidency showed delegations from both countries standing next to the white Togg T10X. Erdoğan has also given Togg vehicles to leaders of other friendly nations, sharing Türkiye’s industrial achievements during his diplomatic visits.
Togg – Türkiye’s Indigenous Electric Vehicle
The Togg T10X is Türkiye’s first domestically produced electric vehicle, launched in 2023 by the Automobile Initiative Group of Türkiye (Togg), a consortium of five Turkish companies in partnership with the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye (TOBB). The president has long championed the creation of a national car, seeing it as a key step toward realizing his vision of Türkiye as a major economic power.The T10X was officially handed over to Erdoğan during the “Togg T10X Delivery Program” at the Presidential Complex in Ankara in April 2023, where he became the first owner of the indigenous EV. The model, an SUV, was initially sold with one engine and two battery options: 52.4 kWh and 88.5 kWh, offering driving ranges of 314 km and 523 km, respectively. Acceleration from 0–100 kph (62.14 mph) took 7.6 seconds for the smaller battery version and 4.8 seconds for the larger one, with deliveries for the latter starting in October 2023.The T10X’s battery can be charged from 20% to 80% in under 28 minutes at fast-charging stations. Togg’s SUV is priced between TL 953,000 (around $22,872) and TL 1.22 million (around $29,280). The brand positions itself as a technology-focused company, blending digital and physical mobility experiences while collaborating with startups to build a new ecosystem. Beyond the SUV, Togg plans to produce four additional models by 2030: a sedan, C-hatchback, B-SUV, and B-MPV, with the sedan following the SUV’s mass production. Current production capacity is approximately 100,000 vehicles annually, expected to rise to 175,000 once the Gemlik factory in Bursa reaches full capacity. The company aims to produce 1 million vehicles across all five segments by 2030.
